Author's Notes: Hello! I'm back with another drabble! It's Jiraiya's turn ;) Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!
Drabble 6
Word Count: 590 words
It's an amusing sight to see one of the Legendary Sannin glaring down at a miniature version of Hatake Sakumo. Jiraiya raises a brow as the three or five year old, he's not quite sure yet and doesn't care enough to ask, glares right back.
"My Daddy's the best!" The toddler says for the umpteenth time, stomping his little feet as if that would give his point better standing, "He's definitely stronger than you are!" Jiraiya snorts.
"If your Daddy's the best, then I'm the bestest," Jiraiya counters while crossing his broad arms across his chest. The kid has the audacity to laugh, in a demeaning, belittling and utterly disbelieving way that sets Jiraiya's face crossly and tightens his arms around his chest so firmly that his ribs ache.
"You most definitely are not," Sakumo's spawn from Hell says as he shakes his head, "Because there's no such thing as bestest," He points out coolly. Jiraiya was hoping to pull one over him. It wouldn't have been hard if this kid weren't a supposed genius.
The smug look the boy has on his face, or what Jiraiya could see of it, has him thinking, like father, like son. Another Hatake was just what I needed. It doesn't sound anything other than long-suffering in his mind, and as Sakumo sends a knowingly smug look his way over his brat's head, he has a feeling Sakumo knows exactly what he's thinking.
He sees Sakumo's brat a lot after that, mostly because he hangs around Sakumo's place too much when he isn't off on one of his expeditions. He notices quickly, unlike everyone else, that Sakumo's kid couldn't hear. Sakumo doesn't say anything, and neither does he. Sakumo's brat himself seems to know that Jiraiya understands his condition. He asks him one day, "What does my voice sound like?"
Jiraiya doesn't know what to say. He doesn't have to answer, though, so he keeps his silence.
"It doesn't sound right?" The brat asks. Jiraiya still doesn't know what to say. The brat loses interest in him eventually, resignedly, and leaves to practice his katas. If Jiraiya throws him a few pointers, no one complains. It's the least he could do, now that his friend and this brat's father has ended his own suffering in a permanent way. He leaves because he doesn't know what else to say. Sakumo's brat is Minato's student now; he knows he'll be well looked after.
It's a long time before he sees Minato's student again, and the circumstances are just as unfavorable as they were the last time. He doesn't say anything as he stands with his head bowed in front of his student's picture and a ways away from the late Hokage's student. Jiraiya doesn't know what to say at all. He turns to leave… but then, something stops him, and he looks over his shoulder.
"It's all because of me, isn't it…" He hears the statement just barely and just because he almost wanted to hear him say something, "I'm just… bad luck," Even if it isn't what Jiraiya really wanted to hear. He walks over to the teen and places a large hand on his shoulder. Kakashi looks up at him, almost as if he were surprised.
"It sounds right," Jiraiya says seriously. Kakashi doesn't quite smile, but Jiraiya feels that he's done something, "Sounds normal," Jiraiya stresses. Kakashi nods, and an invisible strung up force seems to leave his shoulders.
It seems that's all Kakashi wanted to hear. (Jiraiya doesn't bother to correct himself.)
Author's Notes: Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought!
A Response to the Reviews on Drabble 5:
LaughingWombat: I know XD Kushina likes a good prank :P Thanks for reviewing!
Guest: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying them :D
PureInsanity39: I'm glad you like it :) Thank you :3
Tobi Uchiha-chan: It's great that you liked the drabble with Kushina! I hope you like this one! Thanks for the review :D
Until next time!